Afterwards
by Captain Cendol
Summary: A series of short stories and ficlets set after TLC and leading up to TTP. Mostly involving Artemis and his twin brothers.
1. In which Artemis meets his brothers

**A/N:** I enjoyed The Time Paradox, but Eoin Colfer left me hanging with the questions he did not answer! Especially with the Fowl twins, Myles and Beckett. So...to satisfy my curiosity, I have decided to write on the events after The Lost Colony, particularly on the days leading up to TTP.

I look forward to constructive criticism and any other suggestions!

**Disclaimer:** All characters and everything else belongs to Eoin Colfer. My dream to kidnap Artemis might just have to be crushed - but a girl can dream, can't she?

* * *

In which Artemis meets his brothers

They would be here soon.

Artemis drew in a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm. He had just seen his family a week ago, but they had not seen him in three years. And there were his two new brothers...he clenched his hand to hide the slight tremor that arose whenever he thought of the recent additions to his family. This was not a normal reaction on his part, but the changes that had taken place since he left had unnerved him somewhat. Would his parents question him about his unchanged physical appearance? How was he to explain everything to them? Had they changed since he last saw them? What were the new members of the family like?

Butler handed him a steaming mug of tea, his eyes concerned above his full beard. 'Are you all right, Artemis?'

'I'm fine, Butler.' He sipped his tea quietly, hoping that the man had not noticed his nervousness at meeting his parents.

'They can't wait to see you,' said Butler, placing a hand on the boy's bony shoulder. 'Your brothers in particular. Your mother...she has been telling them stories about you.'

'I see.' Artemis held the mug in his hands, grateful for the warmth it gave to his cold hands. 'I hope she gave them good accounts about me.'

'As much as she can,' Butler said, turning back to the stove. Artemis caught the note of uncertainty, mingled with pain, in his voice.

_Poor Mother_, he thought, his fingers tightening their clasp around the mug. This was not the first time that she had to wait for a member of the family to return home. _If only I could think of a way to take away some of her pain._

A car drew up outside the cottage, coming to a stop beside the front door. Artemis placed the mug carefully on the table beside him and met Butler's questioning eyes. Well this was it. Time to meet his family and the new Fowl boys.

'You go,' he whispered. Butler nodded and went to answer the door.

He heard snatches of conversation outside – his mother's anxious voice, his father's deep one calming her, and the bird-like sounds of two boys chattering in their high voices. Artemis straightened the jumper he had borrowed from Butler and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Angeline Fowl paused on the threshold of the cottage with her hand in her husband's. The twins crowded behind her, both curiously peering round the doorway at the strange boy in the room. Artemis rose from his seat, his knees weak with relief. He felt like the time when he was seven, when his parents had been away for a month due to one of father's business deals. He had been left with Butler and Juliet at Fowl Manor and had not wanted for anything, but he had been secretly afraid then that his parents had forgotten him. The memory of seeing his parents again a month later had not left him ever since.

'Arty,' was all Angeline said, before she crossed the room and swept her eldest boy into her arms.

Artemis wrapped his arms around his mother and closed his eyes against the strange prickling he felt in his eyes. She was crying now, her tears damp against his collar. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder and the familiar voice saying something unintelligible above his ear. It did not matter what the words were – Artemis thought he knew what they meant. He kissed his mother on a damp cheek and stood back when she released him.

'We thought...' Angeline's voice broke, and she held a hand up to her mouth, tears still slipping down her cheeks. 'Arty. We've missed you.' She smiled through her tears, smoothing back the boy's hair from his eyes.

Artemis met his mother's eyes, knowing that his mismatched ones would not go unnoticed. Angeline took her hand away from her mouth and touched a fingertip under his left eye, the one that he had swapped with one of Holly's hazel ones. 'Strange,' she murmured. 'So strange.'

'I'm all right, Mother,' he said, his voice sounding oddly distant and flat. He swallowed for the second time that day and smiled. 'I'm all right.'

'We knew you would be back,' said his father next, drawing him into a hug. 'We were always waiting for you to come back to us.'

Artemis could only press his face against his father's shirt and mumble, 'Well, I'm back.'

'Dad?' said a voice near his knee.

His father broke away and bent to pick up the little boy. Artemis met the boy's solemn eyes, arranging his expression into one he hoped was friendly. The boy gazed back unblinkingly, almost as though he were checking the elder boy before him against the impression he had formed of Artemis through his mother's stories.

'This is Myles,' said Artemis Fowl Senior, smiling encouragingly at Artemis. 'He couldn't wait to meet you since Butler called to say you were back.'

'Hello, Myles.' Artemis held out a hand to the younger boy, not knowing what else he was supposed to do. Myles's serious expression was unsettling but somehow familiar; it was possible that it was the same expression that he often had when he was younger himself.

'Pleased to meet you, Artemis.' Myles shook the proffered hand before breaking into a wide grin. 'He talked to me _first_, Beckett!' he yelled.

The other twin, who was now in Angeline's arms, shrieked in protest and demanded to meet Artemis at once. Artemis stared in bemusement at the boy in his mother's arms; he was identical to Myles in looks, but the similarities ended there. While Myles was neat and solemn, _this_ twin had a sticky, rumpled look to him as he kicked his heels in delight when Angeline brought him over to Artemis.

'Arty-mis!' he cried, raising his arms to his brother. 'Hello, Arty-mis!'

'Hello, Beckett.' Artemis couldn't help it – he grinned and ruffled Beckett's messy hair. His fingers came away sticky with something suspiciously resembling treacle. 'My name is Artemis.'

'Beckett,' said Beckett, pointing to himself and giggling madly. 'Me, Beckett!'

'I told you no more treacle, Beckett,' said Angeline indulgently, kissing the top of his head. 'Now he'll be hyperactive for hours.'

'Well, how do you like your brothers, Artemis?' Butler asked later, as he made more tea for the family.

The teenager, who had been sitting silent for the past hour watching his parents talking to the twins, merely nodded in approval; his eyes were unusually bright. Butler shrugged in understanding and said nothing.

* * *

Artemis leaned his head on his hand, his eyes unseeing as the Red Bentley sped along the quiet roads in the golden evening. Butler, who was driving, glanced at his charge in the rearview mirror from time to time. The boy had been silent since they left the cottage at Duncade sometime ago, and Butler knew better than to interrupt Artemis's thoughts. His parents had left earlier that afternoon to prepare the Manor and the twins for Artemis's return. A surprise party had been planned, but Artemis had – most unusually for him – suspected nothing afoot.

'Will Juliet be back soon?' said Artemis, breaking the silence. He met Butler's eyes in the mirror, his expression thoughtful.

'She caught the first plane home when she heard the news,' Butler replied.

Artemis nodded and turned back to look out the window. Juliet, according to Butler, had returned once a year since his disappearance three years ago.

'Do you think things will be the same, Butler?' he asked.

'I don't think they will be,' said Butler, as tactfully as he could.

'Hmm...you're right. It would be folly of me to expect things to be the same.' Artemis smiled as he twisted the ring he wore on his middle finger. He would have to call Holly soon, as promised. There would be so much to talk about, and to hear. 'And I'm not the only one, I suppose.'


	2. In which there is a mysterious intruder

_First off - a big thank you to those who reviewed! I hope my future installments meet your expectations. :P_

_I keep wondering about Artemis's reaction towards his brothers, particularly after he returns home and realises that even his family isn't quite the same anymore. This isn't much of an explanation...but I hope this will do for now._

_And yes - I would so love to see Artemis outsmarted by his own brothers XD_

**Disclaimer:** I own nuthin'. Eoin Colfer owns Artemis and everyone else in here.

* * *

In which there is a mysterious intruder

Artemis Fowl in the morning was not a sight that the general public often had a chance to witness. With the exception of Butler, the only people who had ever stepped foot into the boy's bedroom in the morning were his parents. The last time his mother had seen him waking up from sleep was in his ninth year.

It did not seem to be any different this morning. The boy lay in bed, oblivious to the sunlight already slipping through the gaps in the curtains and illuminating the far corners of the room. It was probably about ten, but he was not going to get up yet. Not after staying up till 4 a.m. talking to Holly, who had abruptly ended the conversation by falling asleep during his lecture on the space-time continuum. The fact that she was already asleep had only registered on Artemis's awareness half an hour later when she emitted a particularly loud snore.

There was no hurry to be up so early. He stretched luxuriously, savoring the thought of having nothing to do for the next week or so. No fairy races to save, no deals to be made and definitely no enemies to be outsmarted. For once in his life, Artemis was glad for not having any plans in the immediate future.

He froze suddenly, his toes coming in contact with a warm body beneath the covers. Artemis sat up as silently as possible, noting that there was a mysterious lump beneath the blankets at the foot of his bed. He was certain that it had not been there last night – and it was most definitely a living creature. He had felt it move when he accidentally nudged it with his foot.

_A fairy?_ he wondered. _It looks too small to be an elf – a pixie maybe?_ He slid out of bed, careful not to disturb anything and rouse the intruder. _Where is Butler? How did this fairy come into my bed?_

There was a muffled sniffle as Artemis tiptoed to the intercom on the wall. He hoped that Butler had remembered to reactivate the intercom and link it back to the main security system after his return home yesterday. If the fairy chose to attack now...

The lump moved again, this time wriggling itself into a more comfortable position. Artemis paused with his finger on the intercom button, anticipating its next move. _Could Butler handle this fairy on his own?_ he thought uneasily. Artemis's past experiences had taught him not to underestimate the fairies, despite defeating them at the age of twelve, and least of all pixies. They had a tendency to go completely bonkers over the smallest things – take Opal Koboi, for example. Holly had reported last night that Opal was currently trying to get out of her secure cell while spending her days talking to her cardboard seahorsies. The pixie might be deranged – not to mention absurdly narcissistic – but even so, she _was_ the one who had worked with Cudgeon during the B'wa Kell rebellion and who had later managed to escape from the J. Argon Clinic.

_I should call the LEP instead._ _I hope Holly picks up in time_.

And then the creature gurgled and sat up. Artemis's hand froze in the act of turning the fairy phone on the finger of his other hand. The hair on the back of his neck rose in alarm.

A soft rustle in his wardrobe distracted him momentarily. He had not noticed that one of the doors had been left ajar. Most unusual of him to do so – Artemis knew perfectly well that he had gone to sleep with everything in his room just so. _Are there two fairies in here then?_ He could feel the panic rising. _What have they done to the security? Have they harmed my family?_

The lump wiggled and a chubby hand reached from beneath the covers. There was a giggle, then the hand pulled them off the creature's head.

Artemis stared at the toddler in his bed, relief swiftly replacing his alarm. One of the twins stared back at him blearily.

'How did you get in here?' he said, surprised. His brother shrugged and rubbed his eyes. Artemis realised, with growing horror, that the little boy was missing his nappy.

'These ties are ugly,' the other intruder said, stepping out of the wardrobe. Several ties were draped around his neck, the ends trailing down to his feet and along the floor. He looked exactly like the one on the bed, except that he was fully dressed and clearly not missing a nappy.

'This is hideous.' Myles help up the ends of a maroon paisley-patterned tie in disgust.

'I don't wear that anymore,' Artemis protested before he could register what his brother meant.

Myles wrinkled his nose in disbelief.

'How did you break into my room?' demanded Artemis, still mystified. 'I locked the door.' He glanced at the door to his bedroom; it was still locked.

'Easy,' said Myles, pulling the offending maroon tie over his head and dropping it contemptuously at his feet. 'I picked the lock with Beckett's nappy pin.'

That explained the absence of a nappy on Beckett then.

'But there was an electronic lock too.' Artemis gazed at his brothers in unaccustomed wonder. Evidently the Fowl twins were not to be taken lightly. _Then again, they __are__ Fowls._

'Easy,' said Myles again. 'I asked Butler for the code.'

'Didn't Mother tell you that it's polite to knock before entering someone else's bedroom?' _Have the rules changed while I was away?_

'Did she, Beckett?'

Beckett shook his head in answer, wide-eyed. 'Mummy didn't say.'

'You mean you're allowed to go into our parents' bedroom whenever you like?' This was news to Artemis. It disturbed him too, in some indefinable way. One of the rules of his childhood had been done away during his absence, just like that, and without his knowledge.

'Yes,' said Beckett, puzzled. 'Why not?'

Artemis chose not to answer the question. He would have to ask his parents later. There would be so many other things to ask besides.

'Beckett need potty,' piped up the toddler, a strained look crossing his face.

Artemis pressed the intercom button without delay. This was a job for the nanny.

* * *

**A/N: **Concrit will be received with much love!


	3. In which Minerva boggles a boy genius

_A big THANK YOU to those who reviewed the previous chapter! Thy reviews have gladdened my heart._

_Now about this one...Minerva makes an appearance. The first meeting between Artemis and her after his return, to be precise. I can only hope that this installment is sufficient to explain their meeting.  
_

**Disclaimer:** All characters and whatnot belongs to Eoin Colfer; I own nothing. Except Beckett's worms.

In which Minerva boggles a boy genius

_The Marriage of Figaro_ played softly in the background as a pale teenager sat at his desk in an otherwise empty study. The boy had been drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the desk for the past half hour with his chin in his hand. The worried expression he wore had not left since he sat down soon after dinner.

There were several knocks at the door.

'Come in.' Artemis sat up, taking his chin off his hand and adjusting his tie. _Show time_.

Butler opened the door, raising his eyebrows as he stepped into the room. 'Minerva's here.'

'Thank you, Butler.' Artemis stood up slowly – almost hesitantly, if Artemis Fowl could be said to hesitate at any time. 'I shall be down presently.'

Butler nodded and shut the door behind him. Artemis stayed where he was, Mozart's music filling the silence in the study.

Minerva Paradizo. The only girl who had ever caught Artemis's interest and kept it. The last time he had seen her, he had flown off the Taipei 101 together with Holly and the demon warlocks to save Hybras from destruction. And now he would be meeting the French girl in his own home. According to Butler, she had grown into 'quite the beauty' and was a potential rival to Artemis in chess. And she had even persuaded Butler to read fiction – a rare feat indeed.

_Deep calming breaths, Artemis._ _You don't have to face her looking like a nervous schoolboy_, he chided himself. _Remember the mantra Butler taught you. Om mani padme hum. Om mani padme hum._

The rooms he passed were empty as he headed downstairs at a leisurely pace, not hurried at all. The rest of the family and both Butler and Juliet would be in the drawing-room, all eager to witness the first official meeting between their favourite boy genius and Minerva Paradizo.

_Om mani padme hum._ Artemis rested his hand on the doorknob, still breathing deeply. One turn of the knob and he would be through; Minerva would be waiting for him on the other side. What would he expect to see...?

There was a sudden burst of laughter from within. Artemis gripped the knob, recognising one strange yet familiar laugh among his parents' and Juliet's.

'Artemis,' was the first thing he heard when he stepped over the threshold into the room. His mother stood to welcome him, her face radiant. 'Minerva has been waiting so patiently to meet you.'

_Patient indeed_, he thought. _Three years is a long time_.

And then Angeline moved aside, and he could see the girl at last.

Minerva was seated on the sofa between his brothers, talking to each twin in turn. Her cockscrew curls had been swept up into a simple yet chic ponytail; there was a hint of glitter mascara to her eyelids and rouge to her cheeks. The dress she wore fell in soft frills at her knees, the blue of the material complementing her skin and eyes. Gone were the trainers she had worn when Artemis first met her three years ago; they were now replaced with elegant high heels that would not look out of place on his mother's feet.

Minerva, in short, had grown into a young lady. Artemis felt very young.

He watched as Beckett pulled Minerva's face down to his own and whispered into her ear. She nodded and glanced up, meeting Artemis's eyes for the first time.

_I believe the appropriate term would be 'frisson'_, a thought popped into his extraordinarily blank mind.

'Hello, Artemis,' said Minerva softly. She freed Beckett's chubby fingers from her curls and smiled. 'How are you?'

He seemed to be rooted to the spot, unable to move his legs to greet her, to shake her hand perhaps. _Where are my manners?_

'I am doing well, Minerva. Thank you for asking,' he said. Juliet rolled her eyes at him from where she stood behind the sofa. _What does she expect me to do?_ he wondered, slightly irritated.

'You're welcome,' said the French girl. The blush seemed to have faded from her cheeks. It was not rouge then, but merely the flush of excitement.

Angeline took a look at both teenagers before her, exchanged a knowing one with her husband, and stood up to leave.

'We'll be outside if you need us, Artemis,' she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Artemis was grateful for the encouraging squeeze that his mother gave, but it did nothing to lessen the tension in his body.

'Make yourself at home, Minerva,' said Angeline kindly. 'Do tell us if you need anything.'

The Fowl parents stepped out of the room with Myles trotting after them. Beckett waved a cheery goodbye.

'Minerva flew in as soon as she had the time. To meet you, Arty,' said Juliet meaningfully.

_Yes, I know. Thank you, Juliet._

'Did you have a pleasant flight?' he asked politely.

'Yes. I flew the plane myself,' replied Minerva, in the same formal tone of voice.

Juliet let out a sigh of exasperation. '_Artemis.'_

'What is it, Juliet?' _Keep calm, keep calm. There is no need to lose your composure so easily._

'I like planes,' said Beckett. 'I like clouds and the blue blue sky!'

'So does my brother Beau,' said Minerva, mussing up his hair fondly. 'You should meet him someday, Beckett.'

'Bobo!' cried the boy. 'Beckett want see Bobo!'

'Artemis.' The teenager turned, meeting the gaze of Butler who had moved to stand quietly beside him. 'Minerva rushed here as soon as she could get her father's permission,' said the manservant. 'It would be wise for you to start...communicating with her.'

'I am communicating, Butler.'

'Perhaps you should be less formal,' said Butler gently. 'Put her at ease.'

'I am trying,' said Artemis.

Juliet had had enough. She marched across to Artemis, grabbed the boy's limp hand and towed him over to Minerva.

'_Talk_,' she commanded, dropping Artemis's hand. She then left the room, clicking her tongue in disgust.

Minerva kept her eyes averted from his, biting her bottom lip in the silence that stretched between them. Beckett looked from his elder brother to the nice girl beside him, astonishment written all over his face.

'Artemis don't want talk to Minnievar?' he asked innocently.

Artemis swallowed very, very quietly.

'Maybe I should have come another day,' said Minerva. 'I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Artemis.'

'No! I mean – no, you didn't.' He tried to smile reassuringly, but she was still not looking up.

'Come on, Minnievar,' said Beckett, getting down from the sofa. 'I show you my worms.' He tugged at Minerva's dress insistently. 'Come with me.'

'Thanks, Beckett. But I can't,' she said, patting his head apologetically.

Beckett was crestfallen. 'Why not?' he said, pouting. 'Artemis don't want to talk.'

'We are talking, Beckett,' said Artemis.

She looked up then, meeting his gaze with a directness that unnerved him. 'Are we?' she said.

It was Beckett's turn to reach the end of his tether. 'You're not!' he exclaimed.

'I feel the same way too, Beckett.' Minerva had not looked away.

Artemis jammed his fists behind his back, hoping that he would sound as he intended – cool, collected and dignified. 'Forgive me for being so uncommunicative. The one time we spoke was three years ago for you, but it was only a few days for me.'

Understanding dawned, lighting up Minerva's pretty features.'You are nervous?' she laughed.

'I suppose you could say that.'

She shook her head, still laughing, and rose from her seat. 'And I thought you didn't want to see me!'

'Yet again, I do apologize,' he said. The blush had returned to her cheeks; Artemis wondered if it had always been there.

'Come on, let's go outside,' said Minerva. 'It's a bit formal in here, isn't it?'

Artemis turned to Butler, who nodded and slipped out of the room to inform Juliet. 'My parents would be out on the veranda waiting for us. Would you care you join us?'

'My pleasure, Artemis,' she replied. Then – to his surprise – she sat down again and extended a foot.

'_Mon Dieu_,' she groaned, pulling off the heels, 'these shoes are killing me!' She flexed her feet and sighed in relief. 'I shouldn't have listened to Juliet.'

'I take it that she was the one responsible for the mascara too?' said Artemis in amusement. _I need to have a word with Juliet later. Perhaps I should tell her not to dress Minerva in the future. Or should I thank her instead?_

'Oh yes. But it doesn't matter, does it?' She grinned impishly up at him; he smiled back, uncertain of the response he should give.

'Now you come see my worms,' said Beckett, glad that his silly brother and Minerva were talking at last.

* * *

'How did it go?' asked Myles, whispering to his twin.

Beckett looked across to where Artemis and Minerva were chatting animatedly in the light of several Chinese lanterns.

'Beckett helped. Artemis simple-toon,' he whispered back to Myles.

* * *

**A/N:** _Om mani padme hum_ is - according to Wiki - "the most famous mantra in Buddhism". I am not, er, implying anything religious by including this in the fic - Colfer never specifically mentions religion after all - but I threw it in after remembering Opal's Gola Schweem meditative circle chant in TTP :) That was one of my favourite jokes in the book.

And...yes, do you think Minerva is OOC? I started writing this and realised that Colfer doesn't give us much of her character to go on in TLC...I hope I did my best.

Concrit will be very much appreciated.


	4. In which there are wormholes

_Thank you so much to all those who reviewed the previous chapter! You guys made my day :)_

_Anyway...here's another one. It seems a bit out of place, methinks - this was the first one I wrote for the series. Just messing around having fun with the characters._

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _anything_ - Eoin Colfer does! I own Beckett's bucket though.

In which there are wormholes

'Yes, Minerva, I do understand what you were saying,' said Artemis a trifle testily. He rubbed his temples with his free hand; the other cradled his mobile phone to his ear. 'But I have found that some of the solutions do not hold – '

Minerva's soft French-accented voice cut him off at the other end. Artemis sighed and paused on his way down the passageway to his study. This argument – no, _discussion_ – over wormholes and related theories had started two weeks ago since his return from Limbo and seemed to have no end in sight. Artemis, to put it bluntly, refused to concede that he could be wrong in the face of Minerva's hypotheses which conflicted with his. Then again, it would take more than a pretty teenage girl of his intelligence to convince Artemis Fowl the Second that he could be wrong. He had had his way in most of the intellectual arguments he had deigned to participate in – and the truth was, he was always right. Most unfortunate that this girl refused to see this.

'Artemis, you have to see that some of the variables in my solutions are possible,' said Minerva. 'You have to consider – '

'I have had the actual experience of time travel, Minerva,' he countered. 'I think I am in a good position to argue that – '

'Oh yes, but see, Artemis...'

He smothered a sigh and leaned against the nearest wall. As persistent as Minerva was with her theories, he refused to budge an inch to mollify her. Truth be told, he enjoyed having someone to argue with over topics that no one else his age seemed to care about. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that Minerva was deliberately disagreeing with him just to keep the discussion going.

But he did _not_ know any better, and that fact annoyed him somewhat.

His father had been pretty vague when Artemis had asked him about Artemis Fowl Senior's opinion on the French girl a week ago. His father had smiled at him, not saying much.

'How do _you_ like her, Arty?' his father had asked.

'Well enough,' Artemis had replied. 'But I can't comprehend why she refuses to see that some of her solutions simply do not make sense.'

His father had burst into laughter then and patted the uncharacteristically baffled boy on the shoulder. 'You'll understand women in time, Arty,' the elder Fowl said, winking. 'But a word of advice: Don't argue with a woman. Especially with a smart woman who knows her own mind.' Angeline had laughed and ruffled her husband's hair.

'Don't worry about it, Arty,' she had said. 'You're still young enough. You'll understand women in the future – it takes time.'

Artemis, thinking over the conversation of a week past while Minerva talked on, wondered if he could somehow read up on the workings of the minds of teenage girls. Perhaps not. Psychology had failed him in that area. He had even tried Google, despite his distrust of the information on the Internet; the bits and pieces he had picked up were so contradictory that his carefully compiled database didn't make sense anymore. There was always Juliet to consult...when he was desperate.

'Artemis?' Beckett poked his head out of the room beside him. 'Want play?'

Artemis smiled and waved his brother away. Minerva did not seem to be slowing down any time soon, and she did have a tendency to sulk when he seemed to lose interest. Yet another aspect of girls that baffled him.

'Who are you talking to, Artemis?' asked Myles, appearing beside his brother.

Artemis sighed and spoke into his phone. 'Hold on a second, Minerva. I need to speak to my brothers.' He covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned to answer the twins. 'No, Beckett, I'm afraid I can't play with you now, but I will later. Myles, I'm discussing wormholes with Minerva.'

'Minnievar?' Beckett said, sniggering. 'Artemis want play with her?'

Artemis was aware of a strange flush rising in his face, but his tone was even when he replied, 'No, Beckett, I am just talking to her.'

'Okay,' Myles said, shrugging. 'Tell me about wormholes later.'

Artemis nodded and continued on his way to his study. Minerva had resumed her unstoppable flow on wormholes. This was going to take some time. But he could wait – he was a patient man, a gentleman. He just needed that _one_ viable solution that would disprove Minerva's...

'Why Artemis want wormy holes?' a puzzled Beckett said to his brother.

'Don't know.' Myles crumbled his crackers into a beaker full of apple juice. 'Maybe Minerva likes worms.'

'Artemis like Minnievar?' said Beckett, still puzzled.

Myles shrugged, too engrossed in his _speriment_ to pay too much attention to his brother. Beckett sat down in the middle of the playroom and thought hard. Artemis was always talking about wormy holes with Minerva these days, until he did not have time to play with them. Why didn't Artemis just give the Minerva worms then, if she wanted them so much? Artemis simple-toon.

Beckett stood up unsteadily and toddled to the door. If Artemis wasn't going to get the worms himself...

Artemis sighed and doodled listlessly on a piece of paper on his desk. Half an hour later and Minerva was still going strong. He cast a glance at the fairy communicator on his desk. If only someone would call up right there and then. He would even welcome one of Foaly's annoyingly accurate lectures today.

'Artemis?'

He looked down into his little brother's grubby face, nonplussed. It was yet another thing that Artemis did not comprehend fully – Beckett and his pet schemes. It was an odd – yet not unpleasant – feeling to know that someone like Beckett and even Myles looked up to him. _Like a hero_, Artemis thought. _Like how I used to look up to my father_.

'Come, Artemis,' said Beckett, taking hold of Artemis's unresisting free hand. 'Come see!'

'I'll be with you in a minute, Beckett,' he said, trying to sound jolly. His voice came out sounding strained instead. Apparently sounding jolly was more difficult than he had thought.

'Come see!' Beckett tugged on his brother's hand insistently. 'Now!'

'All right.' Artemis grinned, thankful that Minerva couldn't see his face. 'Minerva, I'm so sorry about this interruption, but my brother needs me right now. Would it be all right if we resume this at some other time?'

There was silence at the other end. He waited, wondering if he had said something wrong.

'Okay, Artemis,' said Minerva, somewhat coolly. 'Call me when you're free.'

'I will.' He ended the call, slipped his phone into his pocket and followed Beckett out of the room.

The younger boy led him downstairs and out onto the grounds of Fowl Manor. Artemis followed without protest, wondering if Beckett had managed to wreck his mother's roses. He hoped not. Butler did not need to be bothered more than was necessary.

They came to a stop beside a particularly muddy patch of ground under the shade of several rhododendron bushes. Beckett picked up the bucket of mud at his feet and proudly held it up to Artemis.

'Look, Artemis!' he cried. 'Worms!'

'Why...thank you.' Artemis took the proffered bucket uncertainly. 'You're very kind.'

'Worms! For Minnievar!' Beckett clapped his hands, giggling. 'Artemis make Minnievar girl happy!'

Artemis clutched the bucket of mud, his lips twitching into a smile. And then he burst out laughing when he understood. It was an unusual display of levity for Artemis Fowl, but he had never received a bucket of mud from a little brother before in his life.

'Nice worms,' he said, giving Beckett a rare smile of approval. The little boy, unused to the attention he was receiving from a frequently inexpressive brother, crowed with delight. Myles would be jealous when he told him about this!

And then – Artemis's eyes widened as he continued staring into the bucket of mud. Thoughts and ideas which had lain vague and dormant in his mind shot through his confusion and doubt. _There_ it was! He had the one solution he needed to trump Minerva's babbled ones now! _As easy as a carrot disappearing down a dwarf's gullet_, he thought smugly to himself.

'Beckett,' he said, speaking quickly as he handed the bucket back to his brother, 'I'll be back in a few minutes. Hold on a bit, will you?'

Beckett, still drunk on Artemis's approval, nodded happily and upended the contents of the bucket over his front. Oh well, at least the worms wouldn't go to waste.

Artemis hurried up to his study, oblivious to the mud he was trekking all over the carpet. Butler would probably reprimand Beckett later, but Artemis would make it up to the boy. His hands fumbled on his phone as he dialed Minerva's number. Strange that he should be so worked up over this.

'Hello?' Minerva answered on the second ring.

'Minerva, I believe I have the answer to bamboozle your solutions,' he replied triumphantly, unable to keep the tone of self-satisfaction out of his voice. 'Would you care to meet me this Saturday to discuss it over breakfast?'

'Why,' Minerva gasped. 'Why, yes, of course. I'll be there. Can you tell me about it first?'

'Oh no,' said Artemis as he started up his computer. 'I've promised to play with my brothers.'

'I see.' She didn't sound disappointed, surprisingly. Girls! Why did they insist on evading his theories and ideas on their behaviour? He would have to investigate this matter further after he dealt with the one at hand. 'See you tomorrow, Artemis.' She sounded unusually...happy.

_Have I walked myself into a bigger problem?_ he wondered uneasily. _Have I been deceived this time with feminine wile? _Interesting. Perhaps this would not be the first time that he would fall for such trickery from the female mind. He would have to be careful in the future.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, clicked his phone shut and went to work with his equations on the computer.

'Minnievar like worms?' Beckett asked from the doorway.

Artemis took a look at Beckett and the mud that was even then slipping down the boy's clothes on to the carpet. Then he took another look at the half-completed equations on the computer screen. Decisions, decisions. He, Artemis Fowl, was not one to be subjected to dithering and uncertainty. The solution could wait. He saved the file and stepped away from his desk.

'Come on, Beckett.' He took the boy's hand and led him downstairs. 'Let's call Myles out to play.'

* * *

**A/N: **I started writing this with some very vague ideas of wormholes and when I went to read up on the topic halfway through, I realised I knew nothing about them. At all. *sigh* Ah well, I do hope I haven't got anything wrong about wormholes...I tried my best to avoid the technical stuff, because my brain was giving out after reading up on them**.**

As usual - reviews and concrit will be lovely :)


	5. In which Artemis meets his Waterloo

_Many thanks to those who reviewed! You guys rock :)_

_This is for Punkartgurl13, who asked if I could write about why Minerva was missing in The Time Paradox. I hope this provides a plausible explanation...  
_

**Disclaimer: **All characters, settings, etc belongs to Eoin Colfer. I'm just an amateur writing for fun.

In which Artemis meets his Waterloo

'Letter for you, Arty,' said Angeline, handing a small white envelope to her son.

Artemis looked up from his breakfast, raising an eyebrow. This was unusual – his correspondence customarily went through Butler (who checked for hidden cameras, suspicious powders and whatnot; as Artemis and Butler both knew, Artemis's past enemies knew not the boundaries of geography and ethics) before reaching his hands. He took the letter from his mother anyway, running through the possibilities of what the envelope might contain.

_It can't be the fairies_, he thought, flipping the envelope over to break the seal. _I just talked to Holly yesterday, and Foaly has finally managed to hack into my e-mail account; I need to look into that immediately..._

He paused for a moment, his hand over the seal. It was exquisitely shaped into a white rose, the work of a master craftsman. Evidently this envelope did not contain the usual business letters that Artemis was used to receiving.

'Do you know who sent this, Mother...Mum?' he asked.

'No,' said Angeline, smiling over her teacup. 'Why don't you open it and see?'

'I need Butler to check this first.' He dropped the envelope beside his plate and picked up his knife and fork.

'Arty.'

He raised his head, meeting his mother's amused expression. 'Yes, Mum?'

'Just open it, I'm curious to know what it says too.' She held out a hand for the envelope. 'Perhaps I should open it for you?'

'No...thank you, Mum. I'll open it right away.' He put down his cutlery for the second time and took up the letter. The white seal glittered in the bright morning light streaming through the wide windows of the breakfast room.

_Well, here goes_. He broke the seal and lifted the flap of the envelope. A single page lay within, one which certainly did not look like the usual letter of business. Artemis slid the page out, glancing quizzically at his mother as he did so. The page turned out to be a card – an invitation card, to be precise. Expensive too, with gold trim, an embossed floral design and beautiful calligraphic writing. It looked like one of the cards his mother used to receive to balls and social functions.

_This is unexpected_. Artemis's eyes darted across the words on the page, growing wider with every word he read. _And very worrying_.

'What does it say, Arty?'

He placed the card down on the table, hoping that his mother would not ask further. 'This invitation has reached the wrong recipient, I'm afraid.'

'There's no address on the envelope, Arty, just your name.' Angeline's eyes were dancing with mischief. 'It was clearly delivered here with the right recipient in mind.'

'Mother.' Artemis searched for the right words, for an explanation that would distract his mother, but to his horror, he realised that the one thing he had never had cause to dread had come to pass: His brain was not providing the answer he needed and could only come up with, _Hello Artemis, I've decided to take a break today._

'Is something the matter, Arty?' Angeline frowned and beckoned to him to give her the letter. He handed the card over to her wordlessly and waited as she read its contents.

'Artemis.' She held the card between her slim fingers, a knowing smile creeping over her face.

'Yes, Mother?'

'Mum, please, Arty.' She handed the card back to him; the smile remained. 'Is anything wrong?'

Artemis did not take the card, deciding to let his mother slide it beneath the butter dish between them. 'Not that I am aware of.'

'Minerva has invited you to her birthday celebration.' Angeline watched the teenager before her with a shrewdness that could have rivaled Artemis's own. It didn't sound like a question. Artemis didn't think it was.

'Yes.'

'Will you be attending then? Perhaps I should call Marcus over to discuss some designs? A new suit? Or perhaps something a little more...in keeping with the theme?'

'I don't believe I have the time.' _No, I need to provide an explanation_, he thought. _Mother will not be easily fooled. I need a foolproof, fail-safe explanation. My brain has never let me down. _

_Until now._

'Whyever not, Arty?'

Why was his mother being so persistent?

'I will have to – ah – meet with my – that is to say, there are my bank accounts to be dealt with urgently. The earliest possible time that I can meet – '

'Well, cancel the appointment. Bring it forward or postpone it.' Angeline shook her head in disbelief. 'Still the same as always, Arty. Bank accounts and business deals and suchlike. You'll have time for all that later! Look at your father today.'

'I will have to ask Butler's assistance then,' said Artemis, his expression carefully neutral.

'Perhaps I should lend a hand?' Angeline laughed. 'I was quite a dancer in my younger days.'

'Thank you, Mother. Mum. I might take up your offer when the need arises.' _I hope it won't come to that_.

* * *

'The first dance I have decided to teach you is the waltz.' Butler cleared his throat and looked questioningly to his young employer. 'Seeing as the theme of Minerva's birthday celebration will be a masquerade ball, there might be some waltzing required.'

Butler, as it turned out, knew how to dance on top of his list of considerably varied abilities. 'Dancing is a form of communication,' he had explained. 'Many a suspect has been caught while dancing.' Artemis had decided not to question Butler on that point.

_And I as a 'close friend' of Minerva will have the honour of having the first dance with her_, Artemis added silently.

'I see,' he replied. Artemis's eyes were narrowed in intense concentration. And apprehension, but he was not going to admit that. How hard could dancing be for him, Artemis Fowl? He was a genius, for goodness' sake. 'Do continue.'

'You are aware of the preliminary gestures before the dance commences, Artemis?'

'Of course.'

Butler nodded and raised his arms to the appropriate stance before moving his feet into position. 'It's been years since I last danced, but I hope this would be sufficient for you.'

'Yes, thank you. Now if you may start.' Artemis retreated until his back was pressed against the wall of his study.

_I have learnt the steps and understood. How difficult can this be?_

'Your turn, Artemis,' said Butler sometime later. He had collapsed on to the sofa and was presently massaging his chest with a massive hand. Artemis frowned in concern as the manservant took several deep breaths.

'Are you all right, old friend? Should we do this another day?'

'I'm fine.' Butler waved a hand, indicating that Artemis should begin. 'Your turn.'

Artemis stood in the middle of the room, grateful for his family's absence. His parents had taken the twins to Rathdown Park for the day after Myles insisted on seeing Professor Primate's relatives. This had given Artemis a good opportunity to seek out Butler's help. In dancing. Which was something he had never imagined that he would ask when he needed Butler's help.

_Blast Minerva and puberty_. He bowed to his invisible partner, feeling decidedly silly, and raised his arms in imitation of Butler's earlier. _Look at me – did I ever think that I would be doing this?_

'If you're not ready, Artemis, we can continue this tomorrow,' Butler interrupted his thoughts. The expression on the boy's normally impassive face worried him.

'I _will_ do this today, Butler.' Artemis exhaled slowly, calming his mind. _Well here goes. The first step goes like __this__ – _

_CRASH._

Butler was already out of his seat and barrelling halfway across the room before Artemis had time to sit up in a more dignified position and brush sheets of paper off his face and torso.

'Two left feet,' muttered the manservant. Artemis, thankfully, did not hear him as the teenager gripped the edge of his desk and pulled himself up.

'I shall give it another go.' Artemis straightened the creases in his shirt and trousers, grimacing as he did so. Dancing was proving to be a bigger challenge than he had expected, but he had never given up on anything in his life before – and he did not intend to start now. 'I am determined to learn this today.'

'Artemis,' said Butler, uncertain of how he should break the news to the teenager. A gentle approach might not work – there was that glint to Artemis's eyes that Butler knew too well. Someone was going to get hurt soon. 'Maybe I should have started you off on the mazurka...'

'No, Butler,' said the boy firmly. 'I will master the waltz.'

'There is still time, Artemis. Are you sure you haven't had enough for one day?' said Butler, giving it his best shot.

But alas, Artemis was not one to give up so easily. 'Did Napoleon admit defeat after Waterloo?' he replied.

'If I remember correctly, he did, Artemis.'

There was that steely look to the boy's eyes again. 'That was a rhetorical question, Butler. Let's concentrate on my learning how to dance, shall we?'

_The ball's next week. I can't go to Minerva's ball without learning how to dance. A Fowl never embarrasses himself in the eyes of the world._

There was a loud thud, and Artemis landed on his rump for the second time in a matter of minutes. Butler was ready for it, but Artemis had somehow evaded the manservant's arms before he fell.

_At least...not willingly_, thought Artemis with a sinking feeling.

* * *

Miles belowground in the Ops booth, Foaly swore under his breath as he wiped bits of carrot off his blank computer screen. The beetle juice had all but shorted out the circuits, unfortunately. Watching the Fowl Mud Boy learning how to dance had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to say the least. This was even better than Mud Men reality TV shows.

The centaur, having given up on saving his precious screen, cantered across to the one large conference screen in the room instead. The video should be sitting pretty in the computer's memory by now if the system had functioned as programmed. Foaly flicked his tail in contentment and brought up the file he needed. Hacking into Fowl's security system had been tricky, but his efforts were paying off handsomely.

'Who's your daddy now?' Foaly quipped, sniggering. 'Solitaire and minesweeper, my hoof.'

Now to call Holly and the gang and treat them to an evening of comedy. A case of beetle juice and several dozen carrots might be in order too.

* * *

'Good evening, Minerva,' said Artemis. He gripped his phone in one hand; the other scribbled various plausible excuses on the notepad before him.

'Evening, Artemis,' said the girl at the other end of the line. 'Did you receive my invitation?'

'Yes, I did, thank you. About that...'

'Are you coming?' she interrupted excitedly. 'Oh Artemis! Thank you for calling personally. I've been so worried that you won't be able to make it! It will be fun, no?'

_Actually, no_, he agreed.

'Yes...about that, Minerva.' He sighed dramatically. 'I'm afraid I shall be away on that day. I do apologize for not being able to be there. Will it be all right with you if I met you at a more convenient time?'

_The key is communication_, he repeated Butler's words silently. _Communication. I am sure that my explanation will satisfy Minerva. How could it be otherwise?_

The silence on Minerva's end was stretching longer than was necessary.

'Minerva?' he ventured at last, dropping his pen. 'Are you still there?'

'I am here.' All trace of warmth and excitement had been stripped from her voice. Artemis swallowed, wondering if he had done something wrong. Again. This was happening too often since his return from Hybras.

'I have a rather urgent appointment on that day, one that I simply cannot miss,' he said ruefully. 'I'm so sorry.' He sounded sincere, and to his surprise, he did mean it. 'The other party is anxious to meet me and refused to settle for any other date.'

'I see.' The temperature in her voice had not risen one bit. Clearly Minerva did not see his point.

'Minerva, I'm so sorry – if there's any way that I can make it up to you – '

'It's all right, Artemis,' she replied, still in that soft, dangerous tone of voice.

'I really am sorry.'

'I'm fine,' she snapped. 'I'll be away over the weekend – Beau needs to see his specialist for his chest infection. Goodbye, Artemis.' There was a loud click as she ended the call abruptly.

Artemis lowered his phone, kerflummoxed. What chest inflection? Minerva's younger brother had been cured of his chest infection while Artemis was away busy saving Hybras and its inhabitants with Holly and the two demon warlocks, N˚ 1 and Qwan.

_Women!_ Wasn't it Freud who had said: _The great question . . . which I have not been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is `What does a woman want?'_?

He put down his phone and twisted the fairy communicator on his finger. Time to call for help.

'Hey Artemis,' said Holly. 'What's up?'

'Hello, Holly.' He started doodling on his notepad again, idly writing down the first few bars of Beethoven's _Pathétique_ Sonata. 'How are you doing?'

Holly snorted. 'Artemis Fowl does not call up just to chat. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. I've been reinstated in the LEP! I'll be taking it easy first, but I can't wait to get back on the job. Now what is it that you want from me?'

'Why is it, Holly, that you always expect the worst from me?'

'Because you tend to exceed my expectations whether you like it or not. Okay, Artemis, what is it this time?'

_With Holly, there is no beating round the bush_, he thought wryly. _Straight to the point it is._

'I have...displeased...someone or other, and there are several important points that I need to clarify with you.'

Another snort from Holly. 'The great Artemis Fowl annoys someone and needs my assistance. I might have to record this conversation to commemorate this momentous event.'

'Holly,' he said, a little annoyed himself. 'Can we please be serious about this?'

'Right you are, Artemis. Serious business it is.' He could almost imagine the po-faced expression that she would be assuming miles below ground in Haven.

'Thank you. Now shall I tell you about my predicament?'

'Do tell. I'm all ears.' She would be grinning at this moment.

'It's about...Minerva. The Paradizo girl.'

'And...? Hurry up, Artemis, I could grow old here and lose my job.'

Artemis decided to let the last remark pass. This was no time for jokes. 'I have just politely declined her invitation to her birthday celebration, due to an appointment that I was not able to schedule at another time. I even offered to visit her at her château at a more convenient time, but she rejected me right away. Why does she not understand that there are more important matters at hand than birthday celebrations to attend?'

'D'Arvit,' breathed Holly. 'You did _not_ tell her that.'

'What's wrong with the truth?' he said.

'Artemis.' He thought he heard a smothered shriek of laughter. 'Did you seriously think you could get away with that excuse?'

'I was merely telling the truth, Holly.'

'Yeah, and I'm a dwarf's third wife,' she retorted. 'Look, Fowl, Minerva Paradizo had every right to be annoyed with you.'

'I see. Thank you for pointing out that fact to me.'

Holly gave a long-suffering sigh. 'Artemis – she was really looking forward to seeing you at her party. What's wrong with skipping that oh-so-important appointment just for once and attending her party instead? It's her birthday after all.'

'But I can't possibly change it –'

'You're Artemis Fowl,' she pointed out. 'Don't tell me you can't do something like changing the date of an appointment. You're not fooling anyone.'

'Well what do you suggest I do then?'

'It doesn't need a genius to figure that out – go to the party!'

'I can't, Holly,' he forced the statement out through gritted teeth. 'It is not possible.'

'Artemis, since when has anything been impossible for you?'

_Good point. But I have met my Waterloo with dancing._

'I can't dance. Minerva's party will be a masquerade ball.' There, he said it. And now for the scorn and derision that Holly would surely heap upon his undeserving head.

'Then ask a double to go,' suggested Holly. 'Like you haven't tried that before.'

'Minerva won't be fooled so easily. She is, after all, a genius, as I am.'

'You child geniuses!' Holly sounded contemptuous. Inconceivable.

'Genii,' he corrected.

'I can't believe you're correcting me at this time,' she groused. 'Look, I can tell you this: She'll be stewing for quite some time. Believe you me, it might take days. Weeks, even. You can call her up right now and tell her that you'll be going – '

'I won't embarrass myself, Holly, I'm sure you understand that,' he interrupted sarcastically.

'Quiet, Artemis, I'm not done talking. _What I'm saying is_, if you're not going to the party, then you really do have to make amends for your absence. Visit her, like you said. In person. And bring a present with you as a peace offering. But...don't go too soon, or she might just refuse to see you at all.'

'When do you think would be a suitable time for me to visit her then?'

'Give it a week,' said the elf. 'At most. If she's still angry with you, try again the week after. If she still refuses to see you after a month, then you're on your own.'

'Thank you, Holly.'

'I can't guarantee that this will work, mind. I'm just saying.'

'I am grateful, I can assure you. Now about the present...'

'Flowers, maybe?' she said thoughtfully. 'What does she like?'

'A book?' he ventured.

He thought he heard a dark mutter about 'socially inept teenage geniuses', but decided not to correct her this time. What _did_ Minerva like anyway? There had never been an occasion in Artemis Fowl's young life that required him to find out about someone else's likes and dislikes. He had not seen the point of doing so – until now, that is.

'How about chocolates?' said Holly.

'With truffles?' he added, amused.

'Oh you can do that.' She was chuckling as she said this. A good sign. 'And fudge and caramel and what-have-you. Give her the works – you can't go wrong with chocolate. No nougat though.'

'I shall look into it right away.' He wrote it down between the lines of music, wondering at the same time if he should ask his mother or Butler to recommend a good confectioner.

'Hey Artemis,' said Holly, cutting through his thoughts, 'it was nice chatting with you, but I have to end this. Foaly's invited me over for some movie or other; he sounds excited about it for some reason. Must be good.'

'All right then. See you soon, Holly.'

'Likewise, Artemis. Tell me...' Here she paused to chuckle again. 'Tell me how it goes, won't you?'

'I will,' he assured her. _Over my dead body. _But Holly didn't need to know that.

'Ta-ta.'

Artemis twisted the ring into its original position, sighing. First dancing, and now this. He fervently hoped that making up to Minerva would be easier than learning how to dance.

* * *

'What did I tell you?' Foaly crunched his tenth carrot with a smug smirk plastered all over his horsy face. 'Is this genius or what?'

'I thought he was _joking_ when he said he couldn't dance,' gasped Holly from the floor, where she had lain down after falling out of her chair with hysterical laughter.

'As graceful as a dwarf driving an ice-cream truck,' supplied Mulch cryptically. 'Can I have a copy of that video, Foaly?'

The centaur handed over the disc obligingly. 'This is a one-time deal only, mind you. I'm not going to make copies of anything in the future.'

Mulch smiled, displaying his large teeth to their best advantage. 'Oh, that wouldn't be necessary.'


	6. Snapshots: Part 1

_Right...I stole this idea from Philip Pullman's _Lantern Slides_ in the awesome _His Dark Materials _trilogy. (Don't sue!) Anyway, for those unfamiliar with the idea, it goes something like this: individual, disconnected scenes are described briefly - like snapshots - to fill in the gaps in the main story (or in this series, stories). _

_I'll split this into two parts - one before the return from Limbo, and one after._

**Disclaimer:** Characters and everything else belongs to Colfer; Pullman gets the credit for his _Lantern Slides_ which inspired this.

Snapshots

Part 1: Before the Return

1.

Minerva walking alone on the beach near Duncade, scanning the horizon for a certain boy with dark hair and deep blue eyes.

2.

Trouble Kelp, on receiving his commander's acorns, looks towards the audience and registers a missing face.

3.

Foaly at his wedding party looking gobsmacked as his techies perform Riverdance. Or something very much like it.

4.

Angeline as she lies in bed through another sleepless night with the blue diamond necklace clasped tightly in her hand.

5.

Beckett, on discovering that the combination of espresso in sachets and treacles is manna from heaven, looking utterly delighted. He hasn't slept the night before, Myles has locked him out of their room and the nanny has threatened to resign if he does this again. He hasn't taken the underpants off his head either.

6.

Butler reading Douglas Adams's _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ by the light of an electric lamp and chuckling to himself; Minerva recommended the book to him yesterday.

7.

Minerva hurling Goethe's _The Sorrows of Young Werther _across her room after completing it, furious that a book should show her the futility of unrequited love.

8.

Mulch watching a rerun of the movie of Holly (played by Skylar Peat) and Artemis (fully computer-generated) during the B'wa Kell rebellion, realising that Mud Men aren't the only people who love their stereotypes.

9.

Vinyáya in Section 8, waiting for news of the demons, Holly and the Fowl boy.

10.

Opal Koboi in her cell, attaching the snout to her fifth cardboard sea horse and naming it Fowley.

11.

Artemis Senior, staring at the red Bentley in the sunset, wonders why the car looks as though it's on fire. And is that Arty in the driver's seat, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses? He must have been listening to too many of Butler's fairy stories.

12.

Trouble Kelp flying over the sea and supervising the construction of the facility intended to shield the return of Hybras.

13.

Foaly in the Operations Booth hacking into Minerva Paradizo's laptop and looking very smug about it.

14.

Ark Sool, grim and bad-tempered, on hearing that he has been demoted; Vinyáya smiling at him as he passes her.

15.

Doodah Day skulking in a dark alley, cursing the day he joined Mulch Diggums in the PI firm – Haven City's alleys aren't exactly the cleanest.

16.

Myles looking ecstatic on discovering that pouring the blue liquid into the red one produces salt water. Further tests on Professor Primate yield no results; however, Angeline confiscates the liquids from him.

17.

Butler in his cottage at the window, scanning the beach through a pair of binoculars during a particularly bad storm.


	7. Snapshots: Part 2

Snapshots

Part 2: After the Return

1.

Artemis in his room going through his possessions; everything has been left exactly as it was since he left. Just for a brief moment, he catches the scent of his mother's perfume.

2.

Juliet, on meeting Artemis, wonders why one of his eyes is a familiar hazel. She reminds herself to ask Dom about it later, but mysteriously forgets all about it.

3.

Artemis, his face tight with anxiety after using the _mesmer_ on his parents. He wonders if he could ever forgive himself for doing this to his parents, but how is he to explain his absence without giving away the fairies?

4.

Holly standing before the front door of her old flat and groaning inwardly over the cleaning to be done. Foaly has kept it vacant for her, awaiting her return home, but nobody has been in it for three years.

5.

Mulch, Foaly and Trouble together with Holly at a swanky new eatery in downtown Haven; Holly wiping her eyes and insisting that she has a cold.

6.

Artemis at his work table manipulating Professor Primate's voice-box to respond to Myles's voice, wondering if he still has any of the technology left over from the C Cube.

7.

Holly telling Artemis about the LEP psychiatrist who had prescribed happy shots to help cure her of her Post Time Travel Displacement and depression. 'Just another quack spouting psychobabble,' she says, then wonders why Artemis is laughing. She didn't think her joke was that funny anyway.

8.

Trouble Kelp with Holly, informing her of her reinstatement in the LEP. Holly gives him a kiss on the cheek; Trouble good-naturedly tells her off for 'being too friendly with her commander'.

9.

Chix Verbil receiving a punch from Holly during their first joint mission together after her return to the LEP. On hindsight, he realises that taunting Holly about the Fowl Mud Boy might not be a wise move in the future.

10.

Qwan and N˚1 with the Council members, both drawing many stares of curiosity and amusement.

11.

Artemis and his father sitting quietly together; they have not said anything in the past hour, but more has been said than in the years before the boy disappeared.

12.

Myles watching his brother intently as Artemis demonstrates the tricky process of making chocolate milk in a borosilicate beaker over a Bunsen burner.

13.

Butler whistling as he checks the grounds, having shaved his beard and head earlier that morning.

14.

Trouble at Holly's front door, his arms laden with healthy ferns. 'I watered them while you were away,' he explains.

15.

Holly buying cendol from a street vendor selling desserts as the Asian elf chats with her. 'Take another one, it's free,' says the elf. 'You look too skinny, girl.' Holly feels a pang on hearing this; her mother used to say the same thing when she was alive.

16.

Minerva, seeing the ring on Artemis's finger, notices that he often twists it round and round when he talks, almost as though the ring is always on his mind.

17.

A look of pure joy on N˚1's face as Foaly introduces computers to him.

'You mean I can find any word on the Internet?' the imp says, hardly daring to breathe.

'Er...well, _most_ words,' says the centaur.

18.

Beckett running through the rooms of Fowl Manor with one of Artemis's jackets tied around his shoulders as a cape.

* * *

**A/N: **I won't be writing more in this series, methinks. Will be on hiatus for the rest of the month, possibly till the end of the year. So yeah, not much Holly here, I'm afraid.

In the meantime, I've started something, and there is quite a bit of Holly in it. Can't guarantee when I'll post it though - there's so many things I have to do!

Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)


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